www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 17 homicides in the United States, along with 40,000 unidentified human remains cases. In Monterey County, the District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Task Force (CCTF) has identified over 600 unsolved homicide cases across the county, and with the support of a grant and the Cold Case Project—a nonprofit funding arm established this year—they have begun to make a significant leap in bringing justice to these families today. After decades of waiting, some families are beginning to get answers. IN A SALINAS COURTROOM ON MONDAY, AUG. 11, 2025 a dozen jurors listen as attorneys deliver their opening statements in case no. 24CR005280, The People of the State of California vs. Ira Bastian, describing the crime scene on the day of the murder. They outline the details of the case, the evidence the jury would consider, and the witnesses slated to take the stand in the coming days. Prosecutors display graphic photo evidence from the scene; images faded with age, the colors of the photos indicative of the era. In the courtroom audience, George Smith’s daughter looks away—the images too horrific, the memories too painful. For those close to the victims in cases like this, memories of the event, and of their loved ones, remain salient. Yet as time passes, answers—and justice—drift further out of reach. In July 2020, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office launched the Cold Case Task Force, the county’s most comprehensive effort to revisit unsolved cases. Prosecutors and investigators had long sought to establish a more structured approach to handling cold cases. While not driven solely by advancements in DNA technology, those tools played a role—and the slowdown in court activities during the pandemic finally gave them the opportunity. The task force involves seasoned investigators from local law enforcement agencies, the District Attorney’s Office, and a dedicated prosecutor, in collaboration with the state Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensic Services, private laboratories and specialist teams. They focus on revisiting homicides, cases where someone went missing and there was suspected foul play, unsolved sexual assaults and cases involving unidentified human remains. In the months after Thompson and Smith were murdered in 1991, investigators spoke with witnesses and painted a picture of the family members’ daily lives as best they could. Assistant District Attorney Matthew L’Heureux, the lead prosecutor in the Bastian case, brought pieces of this story to the jurors, explaining Bastian’s history working for the family, and that he had two completely different explanations for what he was doing the day of the crime. His girlfriend at the time, who Bastian was living with, also provided shoes that matched the prints left by the back door. Bastian also was confirmed to have a wad of cash when he came home one day, with no explanation of where it came from. Back in the ’90s, Bastian claimed that although his girlfriend provided the shoes, and the prints matched those by the back door, they weren’t his. Other workers at the restaurant, who once worked with Bastian before he committed the crime, told investigators that Bastian thought “the restaurant would be an easy place to rob.” While he couldn’t provide an explanation for where he got the cash, prosecutors did not think all of this information would be enough to prove to a jury, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he was the killer. For murder, the statute of limitations does not apply. In the case of the double homicide of George Smith and Eva Thompson, years passed, leads were exhausted, the restaurant shut down—yet the case remained open, ready to be revisited if new evidence emerged. Left: Exhibit 69 used in the People v. Ira Bastian case depicting the knife found at from the crime scene. Below: Exhibit 202, depicting the perpetrator’s “LA Gear” shoes, which matched the print left near the back door of the Smith’s Restaurant. Opposite page: The Seaside Police Department keeps information on the wall about 33 victims of unsolved homicides. COURTESY MONTEREY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY COURTESY MONTEREY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY Above: Exhibit 1, a photo of George and Anna Smith, with Anna’s mother, Eva Thompson. Image provided to Monterey County Sheriff’s investigators by JoAnn Holland, Anna Smith’s daughter (now deceased). COURTESY MONTEREY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY DNA technology is transforming technology is transforming criminal investigations and helping families find answers in cold cases. By Katie Rodriguez
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